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Tiles

Bathware

Flooring

Tilecare


Tiles

What is the difference between ceramic and porcelain tiles?
Can floor tiles be used on a wall?
What are the advantages of using tiles in your home or business?
Does it matter what adhesive i use?
Should you use big tiles in a small area?
Can i use tiles outside?
What is a non slip rating?
Can i tile over existing tiles?
Can i tile onto a timber floor?
Will the price of tiles determine the quality?

Bathware

What is underfloor heating?
What are shower trays made from?
How many electric showers can i have in my home?
What is the differnce between a single and dual flushsystem?
Do electric showers have good pressure?
Do i fit my shower tray or bath before tiling?
Do shower doors need to be adjustable?
Is it better to use a normal sink or bathroom furniture with a built sink?

Flooring

What differant types of wood are available in the market?
Can i put wood into bathrooms,en-suites or kitchen floors?
What wood should i choose?
Can i use timber flooring if i have underfloor heating?
How long should i have my flooring in my house before installation?
How many times can a solid or semi solid floor be sanded?
What way should i lay my wood?

Tilecare

What is tile care?
How do i clean ceramic floor tiles?
Why do i have to seal porcelain stoneware?
What is recommened for sealing porcelain stoneware?
How do i clean porcelain stoneware?
Why do i have to seal marble and natural stone?
How do i clean marble and natural stone?


Tiles

What is the difference between ceramic and porcelain tiles?

Ceramic tiles are made from either red or white clay and are glazed on top. They are fired through a kiln for a short period of time. Porcelain tiles are made from different minerals that are mixed together to give a highly durable,non pourus material. Porcelain tiles have many technical characteristics which allow them to be used in all foot area's in modern society.

Can floor tiles be used on a wall?

Yes floor tiles can be used on a wall and this quite common in this minimilist era.The only thing that should be checked is the thickness of the material,anything over 15mm we do not recommend so be particularly carefull with marble and limestone.

What are the advantages of using tiles in your home or business?

There are many advantages, but, due to the tiles being fixed with cement to the ground, even during flooding they will not lift off the ground as would vinyl and carpet.

Does it matter what adhesive i use?

Yes it is highly important the correct adhesive is used for each tile. e.g. porcelain tiles will need a polymer based adhesive as standard adhesive will not be sufficient.

Should you use big tiles in a small area?

The choice is totally down to the individual as large formats can be used in small areas. Tip. The bigger the tile the less grout you will use.We all know grout will get dirty over the years so this is worth considering when purchasing.

Can i use tiles outside?

Yes you can, but certain tiles can only be used, that is full bodied porcelian with a non slip rating.

What is a non slip rating?

Tiles are rated into different categories as follows:
1 R-9 Residential environments, schools,surgeries etc...
2 R-10 Bathrooms,warehouses,garages,restaurant kitchens etc...
3 R-11 Dairies,coldrooms,laundries etc...
4 R-12 Meat processing,industrial kitchens,sugar production etc...

Can i tile over existing tiles?

Yes,only if the existing tiles are not loose. The surface of the tiles must be clean and again special adhesives and grouts must be used.

Can i tile onto a timber floor?

Yes, but there are conditions that have to be met.
The flooring must be at least 15mm thick.
It must be screwed down at 100mm centres.
Only in some cases can a 2 part flex adhesive be used, but this must be checked with a professional contractor first.

Will the price of tiles determine the quality?

Yes of course, as the old saying goes(you get what you pay for )
For walls, ceramics are fine but for floors we prefer to sell glazed porcelain or full bodied porcelain.
Bathware

What is underfloor heating?

Underfloor heating works in two ways,that is a wet system and an electric system.Generally wet systems are used in larger areas with pipes laid in the floor that heat up like radiators,while the electric system is used in bathroom and en-suite floors.(smaller areas)

What are shower trays made from?

Shower trays are made from resin stone and heavy duty acrylic.

How many electric showers can i have in my home?

You are allowed one electric shower per fuseboard.

What is the differnce between a single and dual flushsystem?

A dual flush system allows you to use either a three litre or a six litre flush which makes them more environmentally friendly.

Do electric showers have good pressure?

No,as the shower heats cold water but the water passes slowly through to heat.

Do i fit my shower tray or bath before tiling?

Yes it is a much better idea to fit first as the tile coming down onto the bath or tray will have a less chance of a leak in the future.

Do shower doors need to be adjustable?

Yes as when you fit the tray first your tile can be anything from 6mm to 15mm thick.All shower doors need to have at least 15mm to 25mm adjustability.

Is it better to use a normal sink or bathroom furniture with a built sink?

Bathroom furniture is much more modern,hides away all soap,toothpaste etc...and all pipework will be concealed.
Flooring

What differant types of wood are available in the market?

Wood comes in three catagories.Laminate,semi solid and solid.

Can i put wood into bathrooms,en-suites or kitchen floors?

We advise you not to as if you have a leak the timber will buckle and you will have to replace your floor.

What wood should i choose?

For upstairs in your house we recommend laminate as it is sufficent,cheap and easy to install.For downstairs we recommend a prefinished semi solid as again this is easy to install as it can be treated like a floating floor which makes it cheaper to install than the solid flooring.

Can i use timber flooring if i have underfloor heating?

You can use laminate and semi solid flooring only,as our solid flooring is produced and kiln dried specifically for our damp Irish climate.

How long should i have my flooring in my house before installation?

We recommend that you have semi solid and solid flooring delivered 5-7 days before installation.Laminate flooring can be installed straight away.

How many times can a solid or semi solid floor be sanded?

Solid flooring can be sanded at least 3 times.Semi solid flooring can be sanded only once.

What way should i lay my wood?

Laminate floated only.
Semi solid floated,glued or secret nailed.
Solid floor to be sheeted or else battoned and glued or secret nailed.When nailing distance should always be 200mm-250mm apart.Expansion joints between walls and flooring should be 15mm.
Tilecare

What is tile care?

Nationwide Tiles and Bathrooms has an extensive range of products for cleaning all surfaces: Quarry-tiles, Terracota, Porcelain stoneware, Natural and polished stone.........
From products especially developed to provide protection against dirt in high traffic area's, products that help protect surfaces against stains and products to remove all types of stains.

How do i clean ceramic floor tiles?

Nationwide Tiles and Bathrooms recommends using Fila Cleaner.It is a gentle detergent that is suitable for all floor types.It is safe to use on pretreated and sensitive surfaces.It is essential for after installation cleaning of acid sensitive material such as polished and natural finished stone.

Why do i have to seal porcelain stoneware?

Porcelain stoneware is a very hard material with particularly high resistance to chemicals.It is the ideal floor material for restaurants,airports,schools,hospitals and shopping centres and is also widely used in homes.When the porcelain is sealed it creates a barrier against dirt and stains.

What is recommened for sealing porcelain stoneware?

Nationwide Tiles and Bathrooms recommends using FILA/MP90.The function of this sealant is to waterproof the surface to make it stain proof.It also simplifies the routine care that is needed for maintaining porcelain stoneware.

How do i clean porcelain stoneware?

Nationwide Tiles and Bathrooms recommends FILA PS/87.This is a concentrated floor detergent.Diluted it cleans and removes grease from dirty porcelain stoneware,ceramic,natural stone and terracota.Undiluted it removes stubborn stains from porcelain stoneware.It is excellent for basic cleaning of acid-sensitive stone.

Why do i have to seal marble and natural stone?

To maintain the stone's attractive and glossy surface it is important to protect it with an anti-stain agent.Nationwide Tiles and Bathrooms recommends FILA/MP90.This is a special impregnating liquid that prevents stains from penetrating the stone.It is recommended for all floors that are subject to staining.The anti-stain protection of FILA/MP90 allows the material to breathe and maintain its original appearance without altering the brilliance and colour of the stone.

How do i clean marble and natural stone?

Routine cleaning removes dirt,wipes away footprints or marks and reinforces the protective layer in case of wear.Nationwide Tiles and Bathrooms recommends FILA CLEANER for this operation so that the material retains its appearance and performance characteristics for as long as possible.